Strong
by YourLittleBuddy
Summary: Maddie's point of view on her parent's divorce.
1. Chapter 1

Maddie couldn't bear it any longer. It was a million kinds of wrong watching her father, the man she'd known as kind and loving, sitting here lonely, while she knew her mother was upstairs feeling the exact same. She'd have to get used to seeing them apart, after all they weren't together anymore.

She yawned and told Teddy that she was going to bed. She walked quietly up the stairs, not sure if Daphne was asleep yet. The door to her parent's room was open a crack, and from the hallway, Maddie peered in to see Rayna on the chair, knees pulled up to her chest and face in her hands. Normally she would have rushed to her mother's comfort, but today, she wasn't prepared to pick sides.

Maddie shut the door behind her and lay down on her bed, too depressed to bother changing into pajamas. It was too late to text any of her friends from school, so even though she wasn't that tired, she shut off the light and closed her eyes. She pulled over a fluffier pillow and rolled to get comfortable.

When she was younger and she couldn't sleep, Rayna used to sing to her, and tell her to think happy thoughts. She was trying to think happy thoughts, but the looming matter announced today had a way of coming back into her mind. Childish as it seemed, she wished Rayna was there now to sing her to sleep.

Was her mom, or her dad going to move? Who were she and her sister going to live with? Would they still be able to see their other parent? It was so sad to see things turn out like this. One thing a child takes for granted is the love between their parents. When that disappears, they start to doubt love itself.

When she felt a single tear running down her face, Maddie swung her legs out if bed and walked over to the window. Looking out, she saw all the lights off in the houses on the road. The other people's lives were going on as always. They didn't know or care what was going on in this family. They had their own lives, their own problems to worry about. And Maddie was just one of the millions on the planet, so little, so insignificant. No one care what Maddie thought. Not even her parents, she told herself. Someday, she would understand, and she would love her them again, but for now, her image of them was clouded with hatred.

The tears started coming faster, and she sat back down on her bed. She pulled the blanket up over her shoulders for the comfort she needed so badly. Her family was in pieces, and only getting worse. Little Maddie couldn't do anything about it.

But when she heard footsteps coming down the hall, so light they could only belong to her little sister, she realized there was one thing that she could do, that she had to do. So when there wad a knock on the door, she wiped her tears, forced a smile, and went to open it. She would be strong for Daphne.

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**A/N: Was it terrible? Okay? Good? Review please! If you like it I might make another chapter with more of a storyline.**


	2. Chapter 2

Maddie awoke to the sun's glare and was suddenly filled with panic. It was usually still dark out when she got up to go to school. She saw her radio clock out of the corner of her eye. 8:34. She should have been at school over half an hour ago!

She was lifting herself out of bed when her eye caught Daphne beside her, one foot peeking out from under the blanket and arms folded neatly under her head. All the events of yesterday came rushing back.

_Mom coming home from her tour for a visit…_

_…a happy drive home, with normal talking…_

_…the conversation with her parents…_

_…the evening, crying herself to sleep._

Maddie sat back down for a second to take in all this again. Her bed creaked with her weight and she saw Daphne's eyes opening into a squint. The younger girl looked at her older sister for a moment, and from the look in her eyes, Maddie could tell she was remembering the same things. She scooted over to Maddie and pulled her into a hug.

Just then, there was a knock on the door, and Rayna, who had composed herself since last night, walked in.

"We're going to be late for school, Mom!" Maddie said, expecting her mother to be worried. "Why didn't you wake us up?"

Rayna didn't reply. She walked over to where the girls were sitting and took the place in between them. She put her arms around both of them and pulled them towards her. She looked at both of them. Then she spoke. "I heard y'all up last night. Didn't hardly get any sleep. You're not going to school today under my watch."

"Where's daddy?" asked Daphne

"He's at work." Rayna gently turned her younger daughter's face so she was looking at her. "But don't worry, he'll be back in time for dinner. Now, breakfast is almost ready, so get ready and come downstairs."

* * *

When Maddie came downstairs, Daphne was already at the kitchen table, finishing her math homework from the day before. She took the seat beside her sister and teased "What would you have done if we went to school this morning?"

Daphne put her finger over her lips in a sign to be quiet. "Mom would freak if she knew I didn't do my homework." she whispered.

Maddie looked over at Rayna. She was filling three cups with orange juice. Looking over at the stove, she put down the juice bottle in a rush and started flipping pancakes.

Having slept on the idea of her parent's divorce, Maddie had gained a new point of view. Her parents weren't trying to hurt their daughters. On the other hand, they were doing what had to be done, but trying to keep her and Daphne's feelings in mind in the process. They had acted calm in each other's presence for hours yesterday, for the children's sake. Teddie had been acting the part of a happy husband until Rayna had the chance to come home, so they could make the announcement together. Both of her parents were hurting just as much as she was over this.

Maddie knew her mother well. She never made nice breakfasts, their normal mornings included toast, cereal, sometimes frozen waffles in the toasted on good days. She couldn't remember the last time Rayna had put the effort into making pancakes and bacon.

Maddie's train of thought was broken when Rayna started carrying the food over to the table. She got up to help, and gestured at Daphne to do the same.

"Thanks" her mom said, meaning it.

* * *

It was a silent meal, and after, the family went over to the living room. Maddie sat down on the couch, pulling out her phone, but all her friends were in school and couldn't talk to her. Daphne was beside her sister, staring off in front of her, lost in thought. Rayna finished washing dishes and walked over to her daughters and sat on the hardwood floor in front of them.

"Now I don't know what you girls are thinking" Rayna chocked "but I don't want you getting any ideas that we're going to make you choose or anything. It'll be the same as always, you'll stay here with your dad, and when your school schedule allows it, you can come out on tour with me. And when I come back from tour… well, then we'll see, but you'll still be able to spend time with both of us."

Maddie could see her mother holding in tears. She understood that it hurt for everyone in this family as much as it did for herself. She understood that even if her mom had always seemed to know what she was doing, and had hid all her fears and hurt from her children, she needed someone to understand her sometimes too.

"Mom?"

"Yes, Honey?"

"We love you."

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**A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews and to ****everyone who is reading this. I was not expecting to get so much feedback so fast. I hope this is a good continuation to the last chapter.**


	3. Chapter 3

It was 2 o'clock in the afternoon, and Teddy would be home in a few hours. Maddie and Daphne sat in front of the television. When the happy family in the show was all together, doing normal happy family things, Maddie slipped away. She padded over to the stairs and looked behind her to see her sister's eyes still glued to the screen.

She walked to the door to her parent's room. She had something she wanted to ask about. She stood there for a few long seconds before knocking.

"Come in"

Maddie pushed the door open and shyly stepped into the room. Once she had passed the door, she closed it behind her and leaned against it. Her mother looked up from her suitcase, which she was packing to leave on tour again. The older woman motioned for Maddie to sit down beside her on the bed. The girl obeyed and started to speak.

She could have asked her dad about this. He might even have been more likely to tell the truth. But Maddie had always felt more comfortable talking to her mother. They understood each other better.

"I heard you and Dad fighting the last few weeks," said Maddie simply.

Rayna looked at her daughter. Her eyes were clouded with dread, but she blinked it away, and stayed silent, urging Maddie to continue.

"What was all that about Uncle Deacon and about Peggy? I'm not a little kid, Mom, I know there's something going on."

Rayna tried to change the subject. If she was going to have this conversation, she wanted her husband to be there. "Where's Daphne?" She asked.

"She's downstairs. Watching TV. I couldn't handle the show anymore. The family was just so happy."

_She knows what she's doing, _thought Rayna. _I can't believe how much she understands. She's not a little girl any more._

She grabbed her daughter's hand and held it in both of hers. Maddie looked at her questioningly. She wasn't going to give in. She wanted that answer.

"Oh Maddie. I guess I still think of you as my little girl sometimes. I need to remember that you're growing up into an amazing young lady, and it's only natural that you'll want to know things." She paused, and brushed a tear out of her eye before it started rolling down her face. "Love works in a funny way, sweetie, sometimes it just fades, sometimes people fall for people who they shouldn't."

Maddie nodded. "So no one did anything wrong?"

"We both did things wrong. But please don't judge us on that. Everybody makes mistakes in their lives."

"I know. But… what's all this about my biological father?"

Rayna suppressed a gasp. She had no idea how her daughter had heard about this. She and Teddy had agreed that Maddie had the right to know if it came up. But Rayna was expecting Teddy to be there, and she wasn't expecting it to be this soon. She figured it was her responsibility to tell her daughter. It was because of her that this had happened.

"Maddie. I don't know when or how you heard about that and it bothers me so much that you've lived at least the last few days thinking about it." She pulled her daughter closer to her. "And I want you to know that whoever your biological father is Teddy will always be your father. But it's true, it's not Teddy… Maddie, even he doesn't know this, but Deacon is you biological father."

Rayna could tell from Maddie's expression that she had already guessed. "Really, mom? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I have my reasons, and I need you to trust me on that. I know it's wrong, but I don't regret it because it brought you into this world. And if I know one thing about love, it's that even if your Teddy and I don't love each other any more, we still both love you."

Her eyes were full of tears, but she wouldn't let herself cry. Not in front of her daughter. Just like Maddie had decided to be strong for Daphne, Rayna would be strong for both of them.

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**A/N: I know this one's a bit from Rayna's perspective, but there will be more of Maddie's thoughts in the next chapter. Again, thanks for all the reads and for the reviews. More reviews are always appreciated.**


	4. Chapter 4

_Maddie strolled down the path through a park close to her house. Daphne was running ahead and Rayna and Teddy were behind her. Maddie looked back to see them holding hands and talking to each other softly. Unwilling to ruin their moment, she sprinted ahead to catch up with her sister._

_When Daphne had finally found a good spot, the family laid out a checkered blanket and sat down. Maddie grabbed the picnic basket from Teddy and took out the sandwiches Rayna had made that morning. While they ate they talked and laughed. Teddy put his arm around Rayna and the girls cuddled against them, smiling._

* * *

"BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!"

Maddie's alarm clock woke her out of her happy dream, and as soon as she was fully conscious, and the events of the previous days came to her, her mood changed drastically.

Two days ago her parents had told her they were getting a divorce. Yesterday, her mother had told her that the man she had grown up thinking of as her father really wasn't. And today, she had to go to school and bear with everyone asking her whether the gossip about her parents was true. Having the queen of country music as a mother and the mayor of Nashville as a dad wasn't always that great.

Maddie swung her legs out of bed and pulled on a pair of jeans. She grabbed a t-shirt from her drawer, not caring what it looked like, and headed down the stairs.

When she came into the kitchen she just caught the end of Rayna saying something to her dad in a furious voice. They stared at each other for a moment before realizing that their daughter was there, then they both looked down.

Rayna broke the silence. "Get some breakfast, honey, your Dad's going to drive you to school"

* * *

Half an hour later, they were in the school parking lot. Daphne leaned over to hug Teddie. Maddie just jumped out and waved.

"See you tonight, girls" He said out the open door.

"Bye, Dad." The girls said in unison.

Two of Maddie's best friends, Kayla and Isabelle, were close to the old tree where they usually stood before school.

"Maddie, where were you yesterday?" asked Isabelle.

"I heard about your parents on the news yesterday? Is it true?" asked Kayla.

This was going to be a long day.

* * *

The classes were terrible. The teachers talked on and on but Maddie's mind was only on one thing. She had to ask them to repeat questions several times because her thoughts had drifted. For once, recesses were not enjoyable, as she was constantly being crowded by kids who wanted to know what was going on in her family. No one else gets this much attention when their parents split up, thought Maddie. They don't care about me, they just want the gossip.

* * *

When Daphne came up to Maddie again, she was in tears. Maddie pulled her sister out of the crowd and to somewhere quiet.

"Why do people keep asking me these stupid questions, Maddie? I feel crowded and I don't even know the answer to most of them. Ryan told me Mommy was cheating on Daddy. Is it true, Maddie?"

"I don't know, but I think if there was anything we needed to know, Mom and Dad would tell us. Just ignore what everyone's saying, they don't know what they're talking about."

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Maddie kept her sister close for the rest of the day, and when the end came, she was more than grateful. But she couldn't wish her time away too fast, because tomorrow Rayna would leave on tour again, and without a husband waiting for her loyaly, who knew when she would be back to visit.

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**A/N Thanks for reading! I'll try to have a new chapter up tomorrow but I'm not sure what the episode will be like and how it will fit, so I'll see how it goes from there.**


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